Fallas 2009 - Cabalgada de Fuego (carnival of fire)

On the final night of Fallas 2009 we set off, as a group, to watch "the fire parade."Were we going to a parade... or were we the parade?Silvana, the Zen master, Fuku and Jack...
So glad that Guy could join us for the last few days! Jack always seemed to have the best seat in the house, moving from one set of shoulders to another! While Harrison and Tomas scooted in through the maize of legs to wind up in the front row.
Cute pic of Fuku, Zen & Danelle...
Zen also did a good job of scoring good seats (er, shoulders).
Kids and parades, even parades with lots of fire, just go together...
It was way past Isabella's bed time but Jack checked in to make sure she was still having fun. I think it's safe to say that all the kids, big and small, had a great time at Fallas this year!

Fallas 2009 - Nit de Foc (Night of Fire)

The "night of fire" is the second-to-last night of Fallas, when the entire city comes out to eat, drink and be merry... it is also the night when the biggest city fireworks show takes place - at 2:00 AM!
Rusafa is one of the more colorful and eclectic neighborhoods with a real international feel and tons of great little restaurants and bistros (think Belltown or Capitol Hill, for those familiar with the Seattle...). It's also within walking distance of our somewhat sterile apartment building and the first place we head when we feel the need for a more cosmopolitan atmosphere and local experience.

Rusafa also knows how to do Fallas right... with the biggest and most inviting (and very crowded) street party.

And they always have the best lights...

The urban density was difficult to get used to when we first moved here, coming from the PNW where most everyone has their own barbeque in their own fenced-in back yard...

In Valencia the street is where kids play and adults socialize...During Fallas every block ("casal" = neighborhood social organization) organizes their own street barbeque. (Seattle "night out" block-watch captains take note!).Each casal also builds (or, for those with extra euros, commissions someone to build) their own Falla. The competition between casals for the most amazing falla is fierce... The Rusafa "Falla Especial" is considered one of the top two most impressive. It's massive! And yes, it too will be burnt to the ground on the night of the 19th...Here is an example of an award winning "infantil" (childrens) fallas sculpture (maybe "only" 8 to 10 feet tall...). The cheeky monkeys have stolen the hair piece and gold hair ornimentation from the pretty little fallas princess...
After walking for what seemed like miles (in fact kilometers...) we were exhausted and decided to head home as our apartment has a great view over the Turia (river) park and the nightly fireworks show.

The locals were still going strong - these kids, with their parents, were still letting off bags of fireworks... Carolyn and Guy trying (unsuccessfully?) to stay awake for the final big 2 AM fireworks show.

Fallas 2009 - Ofrenda de las Flores (Offering of the Flowers)

Fallas is not just one big pyro-happy pagan spring festival... in true Catholic form the locals manage to mix in a little religon. For two straight days (beginning at 4 pm each day and continuing until well after midnight) everyone (literally) dresses up in their traditional outifits and parades through the city grouped by neighborhood.

The end result is a huge flower statue of the Madona in the beautiful Plaza de la Virgen.

Bridget, me & Carolyn - and the flowers!

For Isabella...maybe next year...?

Cooking with Carolyn...

Mmmm.... pikelets! (New Zealand pancakes...:-)

Morning tour of neighborhood Fallas sculptures

(click on pic to enlarge)
Again... there are over 800 exhibits, infantil (for children) and major (for big kids). Here are just a few...

Falla 2009 - Plantà

Sunday is the official day of Plantà, or building and installation of more than 700 fallas exhibits around the city - although in reality the effort begins days before. And forget driving around the city as once this begins almost every intersection is blocked by the neighborhood fallas.

Some are relatively small, for kids (infantiles) while some are as much as 6 or 7 stories high and can be quite, uh, "colorful" (risqué...?).

We (the chicas) were feeling adventuress so decided to kick off the week with brunch (coffee and pan) in Rusafa with all the kids (hearding cats?) and bombetas!

Zen and Serena looked especially cute, dressed for the day in their traditional outfits...
Isabella and Renee thought is was cool getting to be in a bar (minors are permitted in bars here which gives the entire city a much more family-friendly feel).
Harrison and Sebastian with fireworks... it may not be legal in Seattle but here it's the Valencian way. It's not at all unusual during Fallas to see grandma or grandpa letting off a few mid-afternoon fireworks with the grandkids!

Best friends....

(click on pic to enlarge)
We are not sure what triggered this but by the end of the first week Isabella and Renée decided, on their own, that they would hold hands whenever possible... the mind(s) of 2-year-olds!